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Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Jeremiah 8:11 They
dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say, when there is no peace. (NIV)

Across the United States today, thousands of High
Schoolers are walking out of their classes to collectively express their anger
and distress over the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida. For seventeen
minutes, these young people will gather together at flagpoles, outdoor recess
areas, and beyond the school gates to display their solidarity against the
violence that is sadly too often experienced all over our beautiful nation.
Like the Boston Tea Party members before the War of Independence, they are
protesting about the current legislation which most people agree needs to be changed
but is never truly altered. They are expressing their weariness of politicians
at all levels who promise to make much-needed amendments after each mass
shooting event, but who never get around to fulfilling their words. The
protests, then, are our young peoples’ way of putting our representatives on
notice that when their turn comes to be given the right to vote, they will
remember this day and recall who actually listened to their voices.

Today’s passage from Jeremiah deals with a similar time
in the life of God’s people. The prophet bewails the fact that injustice and
wickedness, corruption and violence are breaking apart the whole community and
diminishing the faith of the nation. Fear and greed, dishonesty and coercion
have contaminated the courage and strength of God’s people. They are drifting
apart from one another and distancing themselves from God. Sadly, they are also
being deceived by the authorities who declare that all is well. In response,
God speaks through Jeremiah with words that cut through the hypocrisy and
hyperbole: ‘They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. “Peace,
peace,” they say, when there is no peace.’

I don’t know what the outcome of today’s protests will
be, but I am proud of what our young people are doing and it makes feel better
about the future. In my opinion, they are displaying one of the great freedoms
that our nation gives to our people: the right to freely assemble and protest. May
God bless all of their endeavors.

Point to ponder

How supportive am I of our young people? How am I seeking
to give them a better future?

Prayer: Lord God, there were times and moments in our history
when Your Spirit moved an entire generation of folks to seek life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness. They showed their solidarity and worked for the good
of our people. In the midst of these current days, anoint our young people with
common ideals and personal commitment that will alter our insufficient ways and
change our nation, for the betterment of our society and the rest of the world.
In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor
of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to give
some feedback about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of
John’s drawings called ‘Peacemakers.’ If you would like to view a larger version,
please click this link: Peace.

Monday, February 26, 2018

Jeremiah 1:7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.” (NRSV)

Ever since the tragic Parkland massacre, High School students in the United States have been at the forefront of our daily news. Our young people are gravely concerned about the violence in our nation and want to make changes. Their voice is raw with intense feeling and their statements are unfettered by any cultural niceties or social courtesy. They feel insecure and outraged; they express a strong desire to make a difference, so that their generation can live in a more peaceable world and a less intolerant one. They are determined not to let this moment pass away, so they are showing a high amount of solidarity which may eventually define this upcoming generation.

Sadly, some people are dismissing their views because they are young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. There is a pushback against any proposed changes to our current laws and some folks are even disparaging the sincerity of the young people, accusing them of being political foils for clandestine groups. I find this difficult to accept because I’ve watched and listened to these young people on all sorts of different occasions, but I guess those who falsely promoted the Sandy Hook conspiracy theories are jumping on the same cynical bandwagon once more.

When God chose Jeremiah to be a prophet to his generation, Jeremiah pushed back against God’s choice because he thought he was too young. He couldn’t see himself as being effective because of his age and inexperience, so he tried to get God to change His mind and pick someone else. But, as always, God knew what He was doing. He needed someone to be the voice of prophecy for an entire generation, someone who had decades of life ahead of him. God was enlisting Jeremiah’s youthful zeal to a prophetic call that would constantly challenge God’s people for many years. In other words, God knew what He was doing when He appointed Jeremiah to the role of prophecy. No matter how young he was initially, God would use Jeremiah’s voice for justice and mercy, truth and change; perhaps He is still doing this with our own High Schoolers today.

Point to ponder

What kind of world do I want young people to live in? Am I willing to help them accomplish this?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, when You were a teenager, You asked many questions in the Temple which amazed the elders and priests who heard You. Your life challenged traditional values and contemporary customs. You came to both save and change the world. Allow us to continue Your ministry in our communities, so that we may make this planet a more peaceable and less fearful place. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s devotion, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings of a Celtic Peace Cross with the Liturgical colors surrounding it. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Peace.